Monday, June 10, 2013

48-Hour Book Challenge Finish Line

It will probably come as no surprise that I didn't manage twelve hours in the 48-Hour Book Challenge this weekend. No, I made it up to a whopping three hours and eighteen minutes! Woo! Well.... it is what it is. I wish I'd tracked the time I spent on my starting line post, I could have included that. I mean, I don't think it's supposed to count, but when you're so far from the twelve-hour minimum, the rules become a little less relevant.

I would've liked to post about my progress here and there, but that would've been taking more time from my 3h18m, so I didn't.

I did eventually decide to make an exception to my rules for myself that I talked about in my starting line post, regarding writing reviews before reading. An exception for the sake of the Challenge. Unfortunately, I did not decide that or prepare my reading materials in time to take advantage of a couple baby naps that would have been glorious -- I was holding her the whole time, so no way to write reviews. But I didn't have my Kindle to hand, or even the book I wanted to start with loaded onto my Kindle, so I ended up reading blogs on my phone instead. Woefully unprepared.

Should've at least spent that time focusing on reading other 48-Hour Book Challenge blogs, but I didn't. Bother.

So, here's the breakdown. In those three hours and eighteen minutes I finished up a review of The Last Unicorn and posted it, drafted another (An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis), started reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy, and did a tiny bit of "networking." Sort of. I mean, I didn't really spend a measurable amount of time reading other people's blogs. My networking was mostly putting the link to my starting line post on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, and replying to one comment on it.

I spent 2 hours and 11 minutes on those 2 reviews. I spent 45 minutes reading. I spent 22 minutes on my tiny bit of networking. (How did those few things take that long?!) I made it 53% of the way through The Death of Ivan Ilyich on my Kindle. It's one of those older Kindles that can't do page numbers. Based on Amazon, in print it normally runs around at least 80 pages, though. So I read around 42 pages in my 45 minutes this morning. Okay. (I've said before that I'm not a particularly fast reader, I just read a lot. Now I can't even say that. *sob*)

Well, it was fun, and I probably wrote more this weekend than I would have without it. I hope next year I can do at least a bit more. I'll try to get another little personal book binge in here, soon. And, unrelatedly, to clean my house. Poor house.

Oh, one more thing I need to do before I sign off. I almost forgot. You need some pics of Baby from over the weekend, right? For the road. Well, I might be able to help you, there...

You would eat your toes too, if you could. They're delicious. Trust me.

Oh, look at that! I rolled over and now... Hi camera! Would you mind if I ate you?
After one of the naps, when I put her down. That didn't really work out, contrary to appearances here. Sorry about the orientation, having technical difficulties with Blogger.
 
Do you like my hair? Isn't it beautiful?
A walk, my pacifier, and air blown in my face? This is the BEST DAY EVER!

5 comments :

Liviania said...

For next year, posting updates *does* count toward your time.

Marcy said...

Ah! Okay, thanks!

Sondy said...

Yes, all blogging counts. So if you time it right (I rarely do), you can even count your finish line post. It's for books and book blogs. Why I didn't get too many books finished this year.

Thanks for the Baby pictures! Can never have too many! She is so adorable! And, yes, it hadn't occurred to me -- as far as she's concerned it probably IS the best day she can remember! No wonder babies are so radiantly happy!

It looks like she might be doing the common family trick of losing her newborn hair and growing in blonde (invisible) hair in its place? If so, of course, she'll end up looking more like you did.

Shelley said...

It's always better to participate even a little than to not participate at all, right? I hope you do get in some time for a personal reading binge. What a cutie you have!

Marcy said...

Belatedly... thanks, Sondy, that's good to know! Yeah, I suppose one could guess how long it would take to write the finish line post, then add in some more time for good measure, and write a draft that could be updated as needed with the time spent writing it, or any more time spent reading in between the writing of the draft and the actual end of the Challenge. In theory, that is! Makes sense.

Ha, you're welcome and thanks! I figure if I should be adding more pictures to my blog posts because people are so visual and all that, it makes perfect sense to use Baby pictures, right? No matter what the blog post is about! :D Hee hee, I suppose you're right about the best day -- I was just joking around, but... yeah. Also why they are so MAD when they're NOT happy -- I mean, it can also be pretty easy to have the worst day ever!

Yeah, it's been gradually lightening this whole time -- she never actually went bald, and I could swear some of her hair actually stayed in but grew lighter anyway, because even some of her longer hair is pretty light now, especially in contrast to the first few days. But there's one spot on the back of her head where it almost looks like it was shaved off! All that lying down rubs off the old hair, but she just keeps growing and growing it. It's actually pretty reddish in the sunlight, too, from her dad's side of the family, which I think is cool. Unfortunately, if she follows the pattern from some of them, it won't stay red. :( I'm crossing my fingers, heh!

Shelley, yes, that's what I figure! I have read a little more recently, so nice. :) Nothing like immersion in a good book... Thanks!